Common Uses of the Scissor Lift

Scissor lifts are better suited for certain jobs over boom lifts or any other type of aerial platform. A lightweight and easy-to-move equipment, scissor lifts are ideal for indoor projects, more so if the project only requires up-and-down mobility.

Scissor lifts are capable of working outdoors on uneven or sloped terrain. A rough terrain scissor lift was purposely made to work on rough or uneven ground to allow for safely raising workers and materials in a way that a ladder never could. 

Popular Jobs For Scissor Lifts

• Indoor maintenance where ceilings are higher.
  
  • IE in schools, hospitals, libraries, etc  
• Warehouse organization, management and general maintenance where accessing tall shelves needs to be done with a safely
• Sign maintenance where a larger platform is needed for safe work
• Working on sloped land or uneven terrain
• Working in tight outdoor spaces where an up-down lifting motion is needed

Choosing the Right Scissor Lift for the Job

The requirements of a project will determine what kind and height of scissor lift will work best. Electric motors are better suited for indoor projects while diesel engine scissor lifts will be able to give the machine the power needed to maneuver around site.

DOZR offers scissor lift rentals with platform heights from 20 – 53 feet. Knowing how high the lift must go for the project determines what kind of lift is needed as well.

Scissor lifts are also available as “rough terrain” lifts and are made to operate on slopes and uneven soil. Knowing what the nature of the job site is or will be at the time the lift will be used will assist in the selection process of “which scissor lift is best”.

Be sure to ask all of these questions and plan appropriately to ensure that you get the best equipment for the job!

Manufacturers of Scissor Lifts

Since the boom lift boom, many other companies have joined Ted and JLG to start manufacturing their own lifts. Skyjack and Genie are among the two most popular but there are other brands as well.

JLG

JLG was founded by John L. Grove in 1973. The company began by making boom lifts but since then has expanded into scissor lifts, telehandlers, and trailers. JLG was the first company to commercially produce the scissor lift and has been working to improve the design ever since. 

JLG offers two types of scissor lifts: electric scissor lifts and engine-powered scissor lifts. Engine-powered lifts have larger platforms, can lift more weight and can be fitted with rough terrain wheels. Electric scissor lifts are better suited for indoor projects as they have a quieter engine.

JLG makes two series of engine-powered lifts. The JLG 260MRT and the LRT series.

The JLG 260MRT is an engine-powered scissor lift with a platform working height of 32 feet. Less than 6 feet wide the machine is great for smaller spaces and working outdoors. The LRT serious is focused on having large platforms to accommodate more workers. 

The ES, LE, and R series are the two groups of electric-powered scissor lifts. The ES series was made to have longer battery life and provides double the length of duty cycle over other electric scissor lifts. The R series is made for easy serviceability and advanced reliability. The LE series features rugged, non-marking tires that are foam filled to provide all-terrain access. This series is available with all-wheel drive.

Caterpillar manufactures many kinds of dozers. Their small dozers all fall under 105 hp and are designed to optimize transportability and speed while their medium dozers are designed for versatility and productivity. The D3K2, D4K2 and D5K2 are some of their smaller models while the D7E and D6 models represent their medium-sized dozers.

Skyjack

Founded in 1985, Skyjack entered the lift industry with scissor lifts. The company was acquired by Linamar Corp in 2002. In 2007 and 2008 the company got two telehandler lines from Carelift Equipment and Volvo respectively.

One of the most popular names for scissor lifts, Skyjack took it upon themselves to innovate the machine introducing the scissor lift swing-out component tray in 1987. In 2013 the company sold its 250,000th equipment piece and the 100,000 SJIII 3219 model. 

The SJIII 3219 is an electric scissor lift that has all standard Skyjack lift features such as dual holding breaks, 90-degree steering, lowering warning system, operator horn, hinged railing system, and overload sensing system. This model has a working height of 23 feet and an overall capacity of 227 kg (500 lbs).

Genie

A brand under the Terex family, Genie was first founded in 1966. Bud Bushnell purchased the rights to a scissor-type lift that used compressed air to raise and lower the platform. Customers were wowed by the “magic” of the machine and the Genie was born. 

During the economic downturn of the early 2000s, Genie started seeking a partner with shared values to help grow the business. This is when Genie Industries became a brand under Terex. 

Genie manufactures slab scissor lifts, rough terrain scissor lifts, as well as a variety of attachments such as material and tool carriers, variations of platforms and buckets, lift diagnostic tools, and many others. 

The Genie GS-1930 is a smaller electric lift with a weight lift capacity of 500 lbs. The platform can reach a maximum working height of 25 feet and is best used indoors. This machine is only 2 feet 6 inches wide so it can fit through most doorways.